Junction-box.



PATENTED MAY '7, 1907.

E. T. GREENFIELD.

JUNCTION BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 1120.29. 1005.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTOR N EY No. 852,431. PATENTED MAY v, 1907. E. T. GRBENFIBLD.

JUNCTION BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1905.

2 SHEETBBHEBT 2.

WiTNESSES: INVENTOR A, g vw 0 ATTORNEY i l Nli'lED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

JUNCTiQN iBQX:

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application and December 29,1905. stun No. 293,783.

- Too/ll whbm it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN T. GREEN- je IEI .D, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residat Kia'mesha, in the county of Sullivan 5 end of saidsleeve to the wall of a box brings aridState ofNew' York, have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in Junetion-Boxes, (Case 13,) ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to junction boxes for electric wiringand specifically to means which may form part of such a construction for(detachably) securing the conductors thereto,

' In carrying out the invention in an approved form, I employ a,two-part looking sleeve the forward end whereof may be threaded forinsertioninto a'suitable oriiice in the wall of the box, and for thecoaction there with of a correspondinglythreaded nut. The

parts of said sleeve are movable relatively to each other in order tofirmly grip between them the conductors or the armor or conduit, 'withinwhich they are inclosed. Combined with such two-part locking sleeve Iemploy means whereby the securing of the threaded cross-section ontheline 3, 3, Fig. 2, Figs. 4'

and 5' are side views illustrating the two-part locking sleeve wherebythe conductors are secured to the box, Fig. 6 is a similar viewillustrating apollar for moving the two parts oi; the locking sleeverelatively to each other,

Fig..'7-is a view generally similar to Fig. l but illustrating amodification of the twopart locking sleeve, 8 is a side elevationillustrating this modification detached from the box, Fig. 9 is asection on the line 9, 9, Fig. 8, and Figs. 10 and 11 are sideelevations illustrating the two-part lockingsleeve, the parts thereofbeing detached.

Y A designates the wall of a unction box provided with an orifice (1preferably circular in shape. Through this orifice extend the electricalconductors a which may, if de saidnut .with the conductors, (t-lns termsired, take the form of a cable or may be inclosed in a suitableconduit. I have here shown such conductors in the cable form, theexterior of the cable being provided with a spirally wound metallicarmor a. Coactin" being used broadly regardless of a particular form ofcovering,) is a two-part locking sleeve comprising the parts B, C. Ihave here shown the approximately semi-cylindrical part B as formedintegral with the threaded sleeve (1 designed for insertion into theorifice a of the junction box and to coact, within such box, with asuitably threaded nut b. The part 0 of the locking sleeve is here shownas pro,- vided with ears 0 coacting with recesses I) in the part B inorder to give such part C movement as upon a hin e and in addition topreclude the accidental detachment of said part 0. The latter is alsoprovided with a lug or boss 0 the purpose of which Will be presentlyexplained.

D designates a collar loosely surrounding the two-part locking sleeveand movable longitudinally relatively thereto. The bore of said collaris provided with a cam recess d coacting with the lug or boss 0 to forcethe part C toward the part B of the locking sleeve said locking sleeveand collar are moved relatively to each other, said collar away from thebox.

lhave shown the bore of the threaded portion 5 of the locking sleeve asol less diameter than that of the movable parts of the locking sleevewhen the same are in the position of maximum opening, the object herebeing to thereby provide a shoulder against which the armor or conduit0. containing the elec trical conductors may abut. I have also shown theend of said threaded portion t as flaring at 6 in order to preventabrasion of the insulation of said conductors.

In operation the locking sleeve and the surrounding collar are movedrelatively to each hther to thereby separate the parts B, C, of saidlocking sleeve to the desired extent. The conductors are then insertedtherein as shown in Fig. 1.. If such conductors be armored asillustrated the end of such armor is brought into contact with theshoulder within said locking sleeve as above described. The threadedendb of the locking sleeve is then passed through the orifice a in thewall of the junction box and the nut I) screwed upon said threaded endwithin such box. As is screwed home said threaded end l) .isdr'aumtoward the interior of the box and "the two-part locking sleeve therebylllOVed 111g manner.

relatively to the collar D. The inner end thereof, as illustrated in thedrawings, abuts against the external surface of the wall of the box.This brings the surface of the cam recess (1 into coaction with the lugor boss 0 of the hinged member C of the locking sleeve thereby forcingsaid member into intimate contact with the exterior of the conductorsand binding such conductors firmly in position. It will thus be seenthat by a single act not only is the locking device secured to the wallof the box but the conductors are secured to'the-locking devices It willalso be seen that either the conductors or the locking device, or both,may be as readily and easily detached, this requiring merely theunscrewing of the nut b and the removal either. of the conductors or thedevice, or

both, from the position in which they are shown in the drawings.

The locking device illustrated in Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive, differs tobutslight extent from that above described, such difference concerningchiefly the means employed for moving the members of the two-partlocking sleeve relatively to each other to thereby reduce thediameterofsaid sleeve and securely grip the exterior of the conductors.Here the external collar is dispensed with and the connection be'tweenthe parts. B and C of the locking sleeve are modified in the'follow Themember B here shown as formed integral with the threadedportion b of thelocking sleeve, is provided with two integral cams b bi upon each sideof its exterior. The member C of the locking sleeve instead of beingconnected with the member Bby a hinge joint as in the construction shownin Figs. 1 to: 6, is provided at each edge with two integral lips cpassing around the Cams 5, the extremities of said lips coacting withthe inclined surfaces of said cams. Itwill be apparent that as the members B,-.C', of said locking sleeve are moved relativelyto. each otherthe'coaction of said lips and cams will. cause said -members to coactwith each other therebyreducing the diameter of the bore of the lockingsleeve and bringing the. f members thereof firmly into contact withtheexterior of the conductors.

In order "to prevent accidental displacementof the member C of thelocking sleeve,

I have here shownthe cams l),- b as co11-. nected by a rib?) andxwiththis rib coacts a finger'b" the extremity whereof engages" with theupper surface of said rib whenthe members B, C are in their position ofmaximum opening but leaving said members free to approach each otherunder the coaction of the cams b, b and lips 0 c The locking operationin this'embodiment same manner as in the structure shownin junction box.

Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, 2'. a. by the operation of securing the lockingslcuveto' 'thewall of the The act of turning the nut b upon the threadedend of the locking sleeve 71 tends to draw such end toward the interiorof the box. The inner end of the locking member C abuts against theexterior of said wall so that as the threaded portion 11 is drawninwardly, the member C being stationary, the member B is movedrelatively to the member C and by reason of the coaction of the cams andlips carried by said members, the two are 'brorght closer together tofirmly grip the conductors extending between the same.

What I claim and desire to secure, by I ,etters Patent is:

1. The combination with a junction box and conductors passing to theinterior thereof, of a two-part locking sleeve having a cam mechanismand means for securing said sleeve to the wall of the box and sinmltaneously inovingone of said parts relatively to the other, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a junction box and conductors passing to theinterior thereof, of a tWo-partlocking sleeve and means operated fromWithin the box for securing said sleeve to the Wall of the boxandsimultaneously moving the parts thereof relatively to eachother,substantiallyas described.

3. The combination with a junction box and conductors passing to theinterior-there of, of a two-part locking sleeve, a threaded extensioncarried by one and insertible into an orificein the'wall of the box, anut coacting therewith inside the box and means operated I by'turningsaid nut upon said extension for moving the parts of saidsleeverelatively to each other, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a junction box and conductors passing to theinterior thereof, of a two-part locking sleeve, a threaded extensioncarriedby one and insertible into an. orifice in the wall of the box, anut coact ing therewith inside the box and means formoving the parts ofsaid sleeverelatively to each other simultaneously with the securing oisaid locking sl'ee've'to said box, substan-' tially as described.

5. The combination with a junction box and conductors passing to theinterior thereol jj'of atwo-part locking sleeve,- a threaded extensioncarriedby one and insertible into an orifice in the wall of a box, a nutcoacting therewith inside the box and .means outside the boxbperated byturning said nut upon said-sleeve for moving the parts of said'sleeverelatively to each other, substantially as described.

6. The"combination'with a junction box and conductors passing -to theinterior thereof, of atwo-part locking sleeve, one having a threadedextension insertible in an orifice in the wallofthe box, a nut coactingwith said threaded extension within the box and means whereby thecoaction of said nut with said threaded extension will move the parts ofsaid locking sleeve relatively to each other, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination with a junction box and conductors passing to theinterior thereof, of a two-part locking sleeve the members whereof areconnected, said locking sleeve having a threaded portion insertible intoan orifice in the wall of the box, a nut coacting with said threadedportion within the box and mechanism operated by the movement of saidthreaded portion intothe box as said nut is screwed thereon for movingsaid locking members toward each other, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a junction box and conductors passing to theinterior thereof, of a two-part locking sleeve, a threaded part carriedthereby insertible into an orifice in the wall of the box, a cam deviceand means for actuating the same operated by securing said threaded partto said wall, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a junction box and conductors passing to theinterior thereof, of a two-part locking sleeve, a screw threaded partinsertible into an orifice in the wall of the box, a nut coacting withsaid part within the box, a collar surrounding said twopart lockingsleeve and movable relatively thereto and a cam mechanism between saidcollar and said sleeve, substantially as described.

10, The combination witha junction box and'conductors passing to theinterior thereof, of a two-part locking sleeve, a threaded part carriedthereby and insertiblc into an orifice in the wall of the box, a nutcoacting with said threaded part within the box, a loose connectionbetween the parts of said locking sleeve and means, including a cammechanism, for moving the parts of said sleeve toward each othersimultaneously with the securing of the threaded part of said sleeve tothe wall of said box, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 27th day of December, 1905.

EDWIN T. GREENFIELD. I Witnesses:

S. O. EDMONDS, I. McIN'rosH.

